AZ Medien considers launching a free paper
The AZ Medien Group is considering launching a free newspaper. The Aargau-based publisher’s plans may be a response to media company Tamedia’s intention to distribute its planned new free newspaper in the canton of Aargau as well.
The AZ Medien Group is thinking about launching a free newspaper. However, the Sunday market is currently the company's priority, spokeswoman Eva Keller told NZZ am Sonntag. If the Aargau publishing house launches a free newspaper, this will not happen before 2008, according to Keller, who told Werbewoche that no concrete project for a possible free newspaper is currently underway. "The market for free newspapers is currently in a state of flux and it is clear that we will not simply stand by and watch," explained the spokesperson. However, there are no detailed plans yet. We are giving it a lot of thought. The question of whether a possible free newspaper should only be distributed in Aargau, in the area of the Mitteland newspaper association or throughout Switzerland could therefore not be answered today.
The media company is currently working flat out on the new Sunday newspaper, which will be published for the first time next weekend. With a total circulation of 240,000 copies, the paper will have the second-highest circulation of a Sunday newspaper in Switzerland. When the launch of "Sonntag" was announced, there were rumors that the AZ Medien Group wanted to bring other publishers on board as partners. So far, however, these have apparently not been found - outside of the existing Mittelland newspaper partners. According to Eva Keller, however, the company is still open to possible partnerships.
AZ Medien's free newspaper plans are possibly a reaction to the intention of the media company Tamedia to distribute its planned new free newspaper in the canton of Aargau. "The focus of the commuter newspaper is on the Basel, Bern and Zurich conurbations. These do not stop at the cantonal borders," said Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer.
The media company is currently working flat out on the new Sunday newspaper, which will be published for the first time next weekend. With a total circulation of 240,000 copies, the paper will have the second-highest circulation of a Sunday newspaper in Switzerland. When the launch of "Sonntag" was announced, there were rumors that the AZ Medien Group wanted to bring other publishers on board as partners. So far, however, these have apparently not been found - outside of the existing Mittelland newspaper partners. According to Eva Keller, however, the company is still open to possible partnerships.
AZ Medien's free newspaper plans are possibly a reaction to the intention of the media company Tamedia to distribute its planned new free newspaper in the canton of Aargau. "The focus of the commuter newspaper is on the Basel, Bern and Zurich conurbations. These do not stop at the cantonal borders," said Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer.
